Field Notes From Plant Explorations

Rarities and Ramblings | Horse Mountain Botanical Area ~ Six Rivers National Forest

2010-02-14T15:14:00Z

Venturing east on Highway 299 from Humboldt Bay, a stark transition--rarely noticed by travelers--occurs at Berry Summit (2900 ft). Leaving the Coast Range and entering the Klamath Mountains the landscape becomes defined by varied, complex rock types. One of these unusual rock types is known as ultramafic rock or more commonly as Serpentine. In North America, serpentine rock appears at the Earth's surface most frequently in northwest California. The Horse Mountain Botanical Area (HMBA) is a celebration of the rock and climate that interact to create unique high elevation plant communities. In coastal northwest California, spring has arrived. Allison and I did not want winter to pass us by--we were ready for some snow play. Packing our snowshoes and lunch, we drove to the snow of the HMBA in the Klamath Mountains in less than an hour.

Above is an map of the location of the Horse Mountain Botanical Area in the Six Rivers National Forest.

Discussed widely in other blogs, on my website, and also by the Forest Service--serpentine plant communities are unique because the rock is laden with heavy metals that make it difficult for plants to grow. Plants that do survive on serpentine are specially adapted to this soil and, through edaphic isolation, many have diverged into endemic species. Several unique coniferous-occurances in the HMBA (~4,800ft) warrant discussion here. First, Port Orford-cedars reach the southern extent of its range in the canyons of the botanical area. Also, this is surely one of the few places where one can stand amongst gnarled Jeffrey pines while pondering views across the Pacific Ocean. Jeffrey pines are characteristic of arid landscapes, but have survived at this location because of the harsh soil. This mountain sees an average of 50 inches of rain per year, far from what I would describe as arid. To appreciate the variety of plants that occur at Horse Mountain, explore the North Coast California Native Plant Society list.

Allison wanders through a snowy red-rock wonderland characterized by Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi), western white pine (Pinus monticola), sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana), knobcone pine (Pinus attenuata), Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) white fir (Abies concolor), and incense-cedar (Calocedrus decurrens). There are also unique shrubs in the under story like the huckleberry oak (Quercus vacciniifolia) that is creeping from under the snow on the serpentine rock.

A flower growing on a plant with roots buried in the snow? That is exactly what we found with the wind-dispersed boxleaf silk tassel (Garrya buxifolia) on our wintry February visit. This species is one of the earliest flowering plants in our local mountains.

The power of a disturbed environmental context--propagated in the center of HMBA--has led to numerous behaviors that are in stark juxtaposition to the aesthetic beauty and awe the botanical area shares with the astute observer. Apparently, the Six Rivers National Forest lets its freedom-loving visitors target-shoot at will--often along well traveled roads. When trash and destruction are left behind--without clean up or guilt of action--the next visitor sees fit to repeat these behaviors. Trash is then repeatedly deposited and environmentally destructive behaviors repeat, promulgations continue further destruction and compounding refuse deposits, building...building...and eventually a culture begins to loose its sense of place. A genuine lack of understanding for the importance of our environment.

Sometimes I get the feeling that we, as Americans, have too many freedoms and entitlements. This Jeffrey pine met its death in only a few years of banal shrapnel fire. Is nothing sacred?

(Diatribe is over) continue on so as to not to end on a sour note...

Views to Mount Shasta, the Yolla Bolly, Siskiyous, Pacific Ocean, and Trinity Alps (here in the background) are continually framed by conifers. Pictured here, from left to right, a western white pine with early signs of blister rust, Jeffery pine, and sugar pine dangle cones at rakish angles offering up sweet seeds for consumption and theoretical dispersal.

Other links for information on the Horse Mountain Botanical Area:

Allison and Skylar Poklemba

Scoliopus bigelovii ~ Fetid Adder's Tongue | Russ Park 2010

2010-02-03T03:19:00Z

We went back again to see the slinkpod, but this year it was still January--within a week or so of the first blooms of the year. You can visit a detailed description of the fetid adder's tongue in last year blog, this year I will celebrate simply with pictures. Get ready for spring, it is just around the corner!

Allison snapped these triplets in all their glory. Michael Mesler of Humboldt State shared that each plant will flower for up to a month producing, on average, 4-5 flowers over that time. This is surely unusual to have three flowers coexisting on one plant in synchronicity?

Fine webs lace the sepals, modified petals, and stigma.

In a rare winter occurrence, light penetrates the temperate coniferous forest. Photo by Allison Poklemba.

What color! Might the fungal gnats have some provenance for beauty beyond their olfactory seductions?

Photo by Allison P.

Photo and fingers by Allison

I hope your plant explorations begin again soon, if they have not already.

Hawai’i: Plant Evolution, Origin and the Genus Vaccinium (‘Ohelo)

2009-12-25T13:01:00Z

When John Sawyer and his wife Jane first invited Allison and I to join them on the Big Island for a few weeks, he issued a staunch warning when he said “Michael, there are no native conifers anywhere on the chain of Hawaiian Islands.” After some discussion with Allison I conceded that, even with the absence of conifers, this was an opportunity we could not miss. I was allowed to bring Farjon’s Conifers: A Natural History for some light reading on the beaches—otherwise we packed efficiently for the sub-tropics. John and Jane promised to bring all the plant books we could possibly need.

For the first few days plants were of secondary concern as we toured the beaches and snorkeled in underwater worlds I had never seen before. But eventually, we made our way into the high country, away from the beaches which were planted with, or invaded by, many non-native species. As we climbed the road to Mauna Kea, eventually into the alpine, we discussed plant distributions and origins on the islands as we peered far over the Pacific Ocean. Hawaii is one of the most isolated places on earth. The nearest land mass is another island chain called the Marquesas, which are 2,000 miles away, the west coast of North America is 2,400 miles, and Japan is 3,800 miles.

This volcanic chain of islands first started its fiery formation 80,000,000 years ago with the creation of Mejii, the western most island. Over time, at a rate of 3.5 inches per year, the plates shifted as lava continued to flow eventually establishing more than 80 islands spread over 3,800 miles. Mejii is now located—eroded and underwater—off the coast of Siberia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. The current western most island is Kure Atole which is 27 million years old and 1,600 miles from Honolulu (Walther). Kaua’i, the oldest of the eight main islands, is a mere 5 million years old. It is apparent, that on a grand scale, these islands form “fast” and die “fast.”

Having set the geological history straight, the big question for me became: How did the native plants get here? In the discussion that follows and in the research sighted, native plants on Hawaii are described as pre-Polynesian plants—in other words, plants that have been here for tens of thousands of years that reached the islands without the aid of humans.

The cloud forests—above 5,000’—offered a rare Pacific refuge for certain plants carried here and already adapted to cooler climatic conditions. On Hawaii at elevation, and in similar habitat through the sub-tropics, Vaccinium spp. thrive.

In 1961, Fosberg found that 18% of Hawaiin native plants were from the Americas, 17% form Australia, 40% from the Indio-Pacific, 3% from the arctic and the rest are of unknown origin. In 1970, Carlquist’s examined seed origin and found that, in those 80 million years, 270 species of plants eventually gave rise to 1,060 native species on the islands—that equates to one successful speciation event every 296,000 years! (Walter). Carlquist went on to state that of these 270 pioneers 1.4% arrived by air, 23.8% by sea and 74.8% by bird. So with the right vessel for distribution and a comfortable landing in just the right habitat, plant life evolved.

In our adventures around the Big Island Allison and I struggled to get comfortable with the plant families here—many of which were new to us. Over 60% percent of the plants here originated in the southern hemisphere, this was new botanical territory. We were definitely entertained by the newness, but it left us feeling like invasive species. We needed something to latch on to, to remind us of home—some sort of habitatual-home so-to-speak. As we climbed into the high country of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, particularly in the pristine native forests of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, we recognized not only a family but a genus that we loved from the mainland.

Fruits and berries of Vaccinium peleanum.

Ericaceae is a common family for anyone who has enjoyed a blueberry pie, pondered a Manzanita in California, or slathered huckleberry jam on toast. As a general rule plants from the genus Vaccinium have tasty berries that people take advantage of, especially in the temperate regions of North America, every fall. Here on the Big Island of Hawaii, there are three native species of Vaccinium (Hall) and possibly up to six on the entire chain. These species hail originally from the north temperate regions and were distributed—by (constipated?) aerial adventurers—between Pacific Island mountain tops from Hawaii to Fiji to Somoa (Kepler). Merlin goes as far to say that these species closest relatives are located in the forests of the Pacific Northwest—giving more foundation to the comfort level we had when finding these plants. We felt at home in the high elevations forests and sub-alpine landscapes where the Vaccinium thrived.

Vaccinium reticulatum, one of the Vaccinium ssp. to speciate from an ancient Pacific Northwest ancestor within the Hawaiian Islands, grows between 3,000 and 5,000 feet

As on the mainland, Vaccinium were held sacred by native Hawaiians. They believed that ‘ohelo, was venerated by the Volcano God, Pele. Before consuming the berries themselves, they would offer branches bearing fruits to Pele by throwing them into the fiery cauldron of Kilauea (Lamoureux). Allison and I offered our love to the island (because we were not allowed near Kilauea) and the experiences offered to us by its kind people before consuming (sparingly) the plentiful fruit on several of our hikes in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. After a wonderful two week visit, our comfort for landscapes on the island grew as well. We reluctantly departed, back to the frigid winter of the mainland, excited to return another time to learn more about this sub-tropical wonderland.

The cauldron in Kilauea Crater to which the native people would offer ‘ohelo to Pele, before enjoying the tasty berries themselves.

Resources:

1. Carlquist, S. 1970, Hawaii: A Natural History, Natural History Press, New York, New York.

2. Fosberg, F.R. 1961. Guide to Excursions III, Tenth Pacific Congress. University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawai’i.

3. Hall, John B. 2004. A Hiker’s Guide to Trailside Plants in Hawaii. Mutual Publishing, Honolulu, Hawaii.

4. Kelper, A.K., 1999, Hawaii’s Floral Splendor, Mutual Publishing, Honolulu, Hawaii.

5. Lamoureux, C.H. 1976. Trailside Plants of Hawaii National Park. Hawaii Natural History Association, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

6. Merlin, M.D. 1980. Hawaiian Forest Plants. Oriental Publishing Company, Honolulu, Hawaii.

7. Walther, Michael, 2004. A Guide to Hawaii’s Coastal Plants, Mutual Publishing, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Big Trees of the Klamath Mountains

2009-11-30T05:42:40Z

While not a Big Tree Hunter, I thoroughly enjoy finding beautiful specimens in prime habitat--where individual trees or groves of trees are humbling. There are certain locations where forests hold more prodigious specimens than within similar vegetation types elsewhere. Because forests are dynamic systems it is impossible to pinpoint any single factor that may lead to this gigantism. Most likely, a combination of synergistic circumstances come together in these primordial places--including some good luck.

Some of these ideal factors include, but are not limited to, optimal light, elevation, aspect, soil conditions, access to water, healthy competition from others and--as mentioned--luck in the long-term. The luck is the interesting factor that, at least in northwest California, has chaperoned this preternatural evolution. In higher elevations, glaciation was not a major factor so extinctions have been less common; species have been able to hide out in these optimal nooks for a long time. Also, while volcanic activity occurred nearby, it did not occur in the temperate coniferous forests of the Klamath Mountains or Coast Range of northwest California.

Other bad-luck factors that could lead to the toppling of giants, like fire or wind storms, may occur; but in select places either have not or specimens simply survived them. The last contingency to endure is the human one--these special places must have been fortunate enough to have avoided the ax. The luck here comes from either complex geomorphology within an area or the forethought to protect a place--or the combination of both. Northwest California offers a unique opportunity to see this diversity of species through a range of microclimates, often protected as old-growth forests...explore the link below for more details on these special places and big trees.

Visit: Big Trees of Northwest California website and interactive map.

In the Trinity Alps Wilderness, a primordial forest thrives--including giant ponderosa pines (pictured) and incense-cedars.

Devil's Punchbowl | Siskiyou Wilderness

2009-11-15T16:43:00Z

On a day hike to the Devil's Punchbowl I collected some video and still images. I have visited this Botanical Area quite often, and on each visit have learned something new. On this particular trip, I collected some common juniper (Juniperus communis var. jackii) and sent it to Baylor University for testing--thinking it might be var. saxatilis (it was not). I also collected some of the unusual ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa) near the lakes for testing, the results of those specimens are still unknown--though David Charlet believes theme to be var. ponderosa.

A montage of music and media followed me home--inspired by the botanical wonders as well as a message of overuse. Visit this wonderful place, but DO NOT camp here and DO NOT have a fire. Tread Lightly...

Video: The Punchbowl

Fall colors at the Devil's Punchbowl

Videos: Along the Bigfoot Trail

2009-10-21T23:38:32Z

Since the weekend involved catching up around the house with some canning, gardening, and general maintenance I had to dig through some old media and reminisce about the Bigfoot Trail. In and amongst the chores I edited together some of the video I shot along the hike. The clips are a combination of gratuitous northwest California glamor, a speck of natural history, and some gabbing by yours truly (generally reflecting on the hike or the status of the trail at a certain point.) Enjoy and get out there!

Bigfoot Trail Videos

Limestone Ridge ~ Trinity Alps Wilderness

2009-10-12T02:23:00Z

Gaining an understanding of geology and fire ecology

I had often pondered a high and extensive ridgeline in the middle of the Trinity Alps Wilderness from other mountain top vantage points on which I stood--at one point or another--in my adventures in the Klamath Mountains. It took me several years to realize this jagged range had its own name and many years more to actually get to this isolated place. Finally, in October, I climbed my way into the high country known as Limestone Ridge. I had read this extensive ridgeline (over 3 miles long) was one of the best examples of Karst topography in western North America. This summer, the spectacular Marble Mountain was my first introduction to Karst limestone landscape in the Klamath so I assiduously pursued a chance to see more. With those distant images and arresting words burned on my brain I was finally climbing--up--up--up--from Hobo Gulch in the Trinity River Canyon.

Climbing higher and higher, smoke lingers from this years fires while charred chaparral and montane forest remind the temporal visitor of previous year's fires--leaving the gabbro pluton exposed, as if only just uplifted from the depths of the earth.

Ascending a spectacular creek canyon, I couldn't help but notice that fire had recently passed through most of the forest. It was a good burn. The understory of saplings had been consumed, but the fire's crown only climbed 30 or 40 feet so the majority of large trees had only scars on their trunks. This was surely prophecy to the 'natural management plan' set into action by lightning last summer and fall. As I climbed higher--eventually out of the canyon and onto rigdelines--the fire's scars became more prodigious. As the picture above indicates, when the montane chaparral caught fire, everything around burned. Since the elevation of Limestone Ridge peaks at 7,500 feet, the montane chaparral--with proper slope and aspect--can grow to the tops of the mountains here. Because of that, the fire ravaged a large percentage of the trees in the high country. What was left appeared to be small unburned groves in isolated pockets generally tucked in north-facing cirque--where the chaparral did not reach.

At sunset, we watched the light change on the high Alps sitting amongst numerous glacial erratics--remnants of the icy condition that once carved the high, hanging valleys of Limestone Ridge.

Once we had climbed into these glacial cirques and away from south-facing hillsides, we discovered that these nooks had offered a refuge for sublime subalpine forests. Thick stands of mountain hemlock, Shasta fir, western white pine, and Pacific yew continued to thrive--sheltered from the fires--in and amongst an atypical array of colorful rocks.

Nearing the upper reaches of a cirque, ancient rock is striated--leading the eyes in the direction ancient glaciers flowed during the Pleistocene.

Dennis Cox and Walden Pratt did reconnaissance studies here in the early 1970's--a region which they deemed "remote with access extremely difficult." There goal was to attempt to reconstruct and understand the tectonic events which occurred during the middle Paleozoic and early Mesozoic. They discovered unique areas of "submarine chert-argillite (associated with limestone) slide-breccia" which had never been reported from the Klamath Mountains. Just to the east of this discovery--along the spine known as Limestone Ridge--is a melange of jumbled rock consisting of "massive metabasalts intruded by gabbro and serpentinite."

Abel Jasso, the Forest Geologist with Shasta-Trinity National Forest describes the area to me in an email by saying:
"A band of diabase, gabbro and serpentine underlies Limestone Ridge. It is bounded by the North Fork fault on the east and by the Twin Sisters fault on the west, Both faults contain abundant dikes of sheared serpentine. The diabase is a medium-grained rock composed of augite and oligoclase (a mineral of plagioclase feldspar). It has undergone low-grade metamorphism. The gabbro is a coarse-grained diallage-labradorite rock (clinopyroxene). During the last period of orogenic activity stocks of tonalite and diorite intruded the diabase and serpentine of Limestone Ridge. Limestone Ridge? Go figure."

So although certian minerals that are present in limestone are present on Limestone Ridge, limestone is not to be found here. But, if you are motivated to follow steep, seldom used trails into exquisite country; geological blunders coupled with botanical wonders await you--the temporal visitor--on this adventure into the Trinity Alps Wilderness.

When Skylar and I finally made it to the ridgeline of Limestone Ridge, I briefly wondered where the limestone might be--but in fact it did not matter because being in this place was enough to ponder.

References:
DENNIS P. COX and WALDEN P. PRATT, Submarine Chert-Argillite Slide-Breccia of Paleozoic Age in the Southern Klamath Mountains, California, Geological Society of America Bulletin 1973 v. 84, p. 1423-1438.

Bigfoot Trail ~ Section 8

2009-10-06T00:47:14Z

Section 8 posed some problems this summer on my first attempt of a Bigfoot Trail thru-hike. I recently returned to attempt a new route into the Trinity Alps Wilderness--one which I hoped would not endure dense patches of poison oak while descending a steep-walled cataract canyon. While the Bear Creek Trail from Canyon Creek trail head is steep, it offers a fabulous entry point to work your way northward into the wilderness and beyond. I put together a short video to highlight some of the botanical and geological features of the re-routed route.

http://www.conifercountry.com/Bigfoot_Trail/videos/sec-8/index.html

Packers Peak ~ Trinity Alps Wilderness

2009-09-22T03:20:00Z

High above the headwaters of the Salmon River and Coffee Creek, the remarkable ascension of Packers Peak is surprising next to the seemingly superlative granite of the Alps. The peak is a pedestal on which to perch, understand, and enjoy the complex Trinity Alps Wilderness that surrounds you. It is a steep climb from Big Flat, at the end of Coffee Creek Road, to reach this vantage point; but if you are willing to climb the nearly 3,000 feet in just under 3 miles, you will be rewarded.

Atop Packers Peak, rock and plant fabulously frame the high Trinity Alps.

The hike begins in Douglas-fir/white fir forest switchbacking through long forgotten gold mines. It gradually transitions to Jeffrey pine/sugar pine/incense-cedar forest with an understory of greenleaf manzanita (Arctostaphylos patula) as the trail becomes exposed on the south-face of Packers Peak. Finally, after nearly 2.5 miles of steep climbing, botanical cues hint that you are reaching the high country--as the first foxtail pines appear along with Shasta fir and mountain hemlock. Audible cues occur as well, with the robotic squawk of Clark's nutcrackers (Nucifraga columbiana) one understands that unique food opportunities are provided by the rare foxtail pine--something that the nutcrackers take advantage of. In the final ascent to the summit, there are certain south-facing, wind-swept, precipitous outcrops of rock on which even hearty conifers cannot take purchase--this is the habitat on which curl leaved mountain mahogany thrives.

Harsh windswept ridgelines are one of the few places this species can survive--where competition is limited.

Cercocarpus ledifolius is widely distributed in arid western North America. From Baja California north to Montana and east from Nebraska to its western extent near the Pacific Ocean (Ross). The species thrives in dry, hot environments typical of what high deserts in the West have to offer. In the Klamath Mountains, this species reaches the western extent of its range--roughly along a crest which creates a subtle rain shadow. This divide (also quite often the Siskiyou/Trinity County line) separates the temperately moist west side forests from the more arid east side forests. This biogeographic pattern is consistent with several other species that are synonymous with curl leaved mountain mahogany in the arid West--like western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) or western sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata)--which also reach the western extent of their range in the eastern Klamath Mountains.

Range map of curl leaved mountain mahogany in the Klamath Mountains

What my wife and I found most interesting about the flora of Packers Peak was the intermingling of the curl leaved mountain mahogany with some of the subalpine conifer species--particularly the foxtail pines. In my extensive wanderings across the Klamath Mountains (often specifically to seek out groves of foxtail pine) I only remember one other time where the range of these two species overlapped, that time was on the way to the top of Mount Eddy. This is quintessential Klamath complexity--within this ancient meeting ground it is rare to find any sort of typical plant distribution--where surprises often come with every twist of the trail. The top of this mountain is the divide between the Siskiyou and Trinity Counties--and Packers Peak is one of the few place to find Cercocarpus ledifolius in Trinity County. But just barely...

Robust and weathered, this specimen enjoys a lifetime of harsh summer sun, bleaching the bark white.

Because of my affinity for conifers I will also include the species we recorded on our hike to Packers Peak:

ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa)
Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi)
sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana)
western white pine (Pinus monticola)
whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) *only one small tree
lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta)
foxtail pine (Pinus balfouriana)
Shasta fir (Abies magnifica var. shastensis)
white fir (Abies concolor)
Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana)
incense-cedar (Calocedrus decurrens)

With a windswept foxtail pine at her back Allison wonders...

Resources:

Ross, Christopher. Curl Leaved Mountain Mahogany. accessed 9-22-3009

Foxtail Pine on Mount Linn in the Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness

2009-08-10T21:44:00Z

Mount Linn--also called South Yolla Bolly Mountain--is the highest point in the Coast Range of northern California. It is located to the west of Corning but the area might as well be a world away from the population centers of the state; it is rarely noticed by travelers as they drive Interstate 5. Once off the interstate, scenic forest service roads still take nearly 2 hours to wind to the trailhead. Although this place has always been on my list of places to visit--the impetus for this visit was to collect some samples of the rare Sierra juniper (Juniperus grandis) for Robert Adams of Baylor University so that, through DNA testing, he might find out if these trees truly are what we think they are (see previous blog). After a 25 mile sojourn deep into the wilderness to collect those specimens it was time to search for the southern most stand of foxtail pine in northwest California--on Mount Linn.

The distinct cones and "bottle-brush tassle" branches help to identify Pinus Balfouriana.

The highest summit on South Yolla Bolly Mountain is Mount Linn at 8092 feet, but the exposed ridgeline is nearly a mile long hence the two names. Just below the summit of the main peak is a saddle leading to the second highest peak on the ridgeline--this is where a 10 acre grove of one of the most sublime conifers in the world grows. Here at the southern extent for Pinus balfouriana var. balfouriana they are flourishing, if only on a very restricted and specific site. The grove is nearly pure, with only a few Shasta fir (Abies magnifica var. shastensis), western white pine (Pinus monticola) and Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi) sharing the windswept ridgeline. It is an idyllic place to wander for both the botanical wonders and endless views (Mount Linn is rated as the 10th best view for any mountain in California.)

From the summit of Mount Linn (8092 feet) the grove of foxtail pine can be explored from the obvious saddle--just east of the second highest peak.

Foxtail pines, a California endemic, require a very specific habitat to survive. In northwest California they only grow above 7500 feet on south-facing slopes with a soil substrate that is most often serpentine. When these three factors come together foxtails can flourish. This is also the only population in northwest California that is not in the Klamath Mountains proper (see range map below) but with the lack of competition from other conifers this grove has persisted for millennia.

A foxtail pine dangles from the ridgeline of South Yolla Bolly Mountain--high above the Great Central Valley.

In California, foxtail pines form two distinct populations separated by more than 300 miles. The southern foxtail pines (var. austrina) grow in the southern Sierra Nevada at elevations above 9500 feet where they form pure stands and attain old age. The northern foxtail pines (var. balfouriana) are isolated on sky islands—defined as local mountain tops and ridgelines—found in the eastern half of the Klamath Mountains and this one spot in the North Coast Range. Here, proper geologic and climatic conditions allow them to compete with the shade-tolerant and faster growing firs and hemlocks (Eckert 2006). This elevational requirement, coupled with soil conditions and drier climate, has allowed isolated populations to persist in the Klamath region after upwards of one million of years of evolutionary divergence between these subspecies (Eckert et al. 2008).

A range map for the foxtail pine (Pinus balfouriana var. balfouriana) in northwest California.

References and Resources:

Earle, Christopher J., Forest Ecologist, “The Gymnosperm Database”, <http://www.conifers.org>, 9043 Dibble Ave., NW , Seattle, WA 98117
Eckert, A. J. 2006. Influence of substrate type and microsite availability on the persistence of foxtail pine (Pinus balfouriana, Pinaceae) in the Klamath Mountains, California. American Journal of Botany 93: 1615-1624
Eckert, A. J., B. R. Tearse, and B. D. Hall. 2008. A phylogeographic analysis of the range disjunction for foxtail pine (Pinus balfouriana, Pinaceae): the role of Pleistocene glaciation. Molecular Ecology.

Western Juniper of the Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness

2009-07-29T20:52:00Z

Two days into my 400 mile trek on the Bigfoot Trail I stopped to watch rain clouds clear above the headwaters of Cottonwood Creek--deep in the Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness. As wind whipped the cool electric air past my ears a plant caught my eye--20 yards below the ridge on which I was balanced. This stately specimen had taken purchase many years ago in this rocky, windswept environment. This was a place in which only the heartiest of plants could hope to endure. Its reddish branches stood out in stark contrast to the lime green foliage. As I slowly crawled down the hillside my mind turned over and over with ideas of what species this might be. At first I believed it was cypress--possibly a MacNab or Sargent. But As I got closer I noticed the berry cones which are a diagnostic trait of junipers.

western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) on a windswept ridge.

The adventurous, isolated trailhead I picked for the beginning of the Bigfoot trail was identified for the sole reason of finding Sierra junipers that Dr. John Sawyer had told me about. Soldier Ridge in the southern Yolla Bolly is known to foster a healthy and isolated population of this species. This was the only population he knew about in the Coast Range--far across the Central Valley from the potential parent population. Sierra junipers range from the central and southern Sierra Nevada south to the an Bernardino Mountains in California and east into isolated sky islands in Nevada (range map). What I was enjoying was surely one of the rarest conifers in coastal northwest California--and I also wrongly assumed what species it was. This was confusing because these plants grow here in an identical habitat to where one might find Sierra juniper in central and southern California--high on mountainous windswept ridgelines. This is an environment where competition is at a minimum with other conifers, a niche where these junipers have eked out a specialized existence different than the parent populations.

Above are two possible routes to find the western juniper in the Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness.

The Sierra or mountain juniper (Juniperus grandis) was recently reclassified as a new species and separated from the western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) after extensive studies by Robert Adams--one of the world's experts on the genus Juniperus. The two species were easily split geographically--where western juniper's range could be defined as north of the Sierra Nevada and Sierra juniper's range as south of the Cascades (range map). I have also listed a few non-techical distinctions below that can be seen in the field:

Sierra juniper (Juniperus grandis)
also referred to as Juniperus occidentalis var. australis
- reddish-brown bark
- mountainous habitat
- Branchlets mostly have 4 scale leaves per whorl

western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis)
also referred to as Juniperus occidentalis var. occidentalis
- brown bark
- high desert habitat
- Branchlets mostly have 3 scale leaves per whorl

Juniperus occidentalis holds ancient purchase on a windswept ridgeline above the headwaters of the Eel River.

Then there is the question of the stands of trees in the Yolla Bolly--growing equidistant from the main populations of both occidentalis and grandis. With a belief that this population was Juniperus grandis, I collected some specimens and sent them off to Robert Adams at Baylor University. He rand some tests and got back to me with some exciting news, saying:

"Hi Michael:
I just extracted the leaf oils from the 1st three samples of J. grandis you sent. The oil looks more like J. occidentalis (var. occidentalis) from Bend, OR than it does to my other J. grands oils!"

Needles to say, what was believed to be a population of Juniperus grandis for many years was proved to be Juniperus occidentalis.

In a later communication with David Charlet, a conifer expert from Nevada, he relayed to me the following:

"The Klamath Mountain area is so important to understanding conifers throughout North America. As part of a regional survey of Juniperus osteosperma/J. occidentalis genetics, I chased down a collection known from the late 1800s by Jepson “at the headwaters of the Mad River, Yolla Bolly Mts.” I found a small stand of Juniperus occidentalis in the Wilderness there and this population had 46 of the 49 alleles the genetics group was following! The largest number any other population (about 100 populations were sampled, all the way to Utah) during this study had was 24 I believe."

For being so isolated, they had most of the genetic diversity in this study by Terry, Nowak, and Tausch. This is was quite surprising. One would think that isolated populations have less genetic diversity, even if they contain special [unique] alleles that are found only there and so contribute to the overall species genetic diversity. This information suggests, once again, that the Klamath Mountains are quite unique in the offerings of conifers and other botanical wonders--essentially a womb from which species diversity is fostered.
Juniper "berry cones" are painted with rain after a storm.

References:

Technical paper by Robert Adams (2008) discussing taxonomy of junipers in the southwest.
Treatment by Chris Earle at conifers.org
Terry, R.G., Nowak, R. S., and Tausch, R.J., Genetic Variation in Chloroplast and Nuclear Ribosomal DNA in Utah Juniper. American Journal of Botany 87(2): 250–258. 2000

More Pictures of the Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness

UPDATE 12-05-09:
Results suggest population is Juniperus occidentalis.

Bigfoot Trail Completed

2009-07-11T17:17:00Z

The hike is finished--410 miles and 22 days to walk from the Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness to Redwood National Park.

The route I chose went well for the most part--though there were some hang-ups. The first difficulty came in the southern Trinity Alps, just north of Manzanita Ridge. The route I planned to use was the Waldorf Crossing trail to get to Hobo Gulch. Well, Waldorf Crossing does not exist any more. I spent around 20 hours bushwacking down Baxter Gulch, swimming across the Trinity River, and then climbing up and over a mountain to eventually get to Hobo Gulch--which I do not recommend as a fun way to spend time in the mountains.

The second and final hang-up was along the Six Rivers National Forest section of the Kelsey Trail. This section of a National Recreation Trail has not been maintained in at least 10 years--I hope to work with the forest service to get this changed. Had I not walked this section 4 years ago, I am not sure I could have found my way to the Smith River.

I have updated the Bigfoot Trail website with new proposed routes for the section around the Trinity River and added some pictures from the journey. This route is a work in progress that I hope will one day be hiked by others. Please email me if you are interested in attempting this trail.

visit the updated website: www.bigfoottrail.org

Preston Peak Botanical and Geological Area ~ Siskiyou Wilderness

2009-05-29T03:18:00Z

The Preston Peak Botanical and Geological Area is contained within a mountain chain known as the Siskiyou Mountains—a sub-range of the Klamath Mountains. It is an arcing range that begins in California near the junction of the Klamath and Trinity Rivers, at Weitchpec. The range continues north and, in most of this initial stretch, the crest is protected within the 200,000 acre Siskiyou Wilderness. These mountains are not the highest or most dramatic in the Klamath but are subtly beautiful, botanically diverse, and the wildest the region has to offer.

Within the Siskiyou Wilderness the highest point is Preston Peak—at 7300 feet its dramatic relief sets it apart from other peaks in the wilderness. Plant diversity abounds because steep escarpments rise from river canyons that can receive over 100 inches of rain and while the peak itself receives high levels of snow. This varied terrain, complex geology, and temperate climate fosters complex plant communities—here species touch roots with other species that rarely, if ever share common ground.

The designation this area has received from the forest service is due to unique serpentine soils, complex geomorphic slope aspect, and high levels of precipitation that in turn have fostered unique botanical diversity. Plants that grow in western slope forests meet plants from the eastern slope where varied mediums are presented on which to grow—here evolution is takeing place virtually before our eyes. On a trip into the Preston Peak Botanical and Geological area, a keen plant lover can identify 15 species of conifers.

Movie:

Preston Peak Botanical and Geological Area

Carnivorous Plants of the Smith River Region ~ Stoney Creek Trail

2009-04-18T14:37:00Z

In the hinterland of northwest California, the Smith River’s crystal blue waters drain abruptly from the Siskiyou Mountains toward the Pacific Ocean—along the way gouging out sparkling canyons through ancient serpentine rock. High levels of precipitation coupled with serpentine geology have fostered unique plant communities in this region. Because the serpentines soils of the Josephine Ophiolite are rich in heavy metals the ecosystem appears infertile. Seemingly sparse red-rock forests endure in stark contrast to the lush redwood forests of the North Coast Range only a few miles away. But upon closer inspection, the red-rock nurtures plant communities that are species rich and teeming with life.

Serpentine outcrops are fortified with heavy metals, which restrict a plant’s ability to grow. Certain plants, however, have adapted to　this medium and flourish with the reduced competition from other plants. Over millions of years this geographic isolation has been responsible for the speciation of a remarkable number of rare plants. John Sawyer has recorded 200 neoendemic plants on the serpentine outcrops of northwest California. On the Josephine Ophiolite alone, there are 70 endemic species—more than any other serpentine outcrop in North America. Because most plants have evolved on "nutrient balanced" soils for millions of years, these serpentine substrates pose a problem. While some important elements such as nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous exist at low levels in serpentine, other toxic elements exist at very high levels. These elements often inhibit plants from performing various metabolic functions; for example, high levels of magnesium restrict a plant’s uptake of calcium. Plants that survive on porous serpentine are also slow-growing and therefore dwarfed in size compared to relatives on nutrient rich soil. Evolving on these restrictive sites, plants have become both geographically and reproductively isolated from an ancient parent populations.

Three plant—butterwort, Darlingtonia, and sundew—have successfully undertaken survival on this harsh rocky purchase. By absorbing digested nutrients from insects they lure and capture these plants have found a dietary supplement; overcoming the lack of nutrients offered by the rock. Two of these carnivorous plants can be found along the Stoney Creek Trail in the Smith River National Recreation Area.

Horned　Butterwort (Pinguicula macroceras ssp. nortensis)
This species has spotty distribution across western North America. In northwest California, it is restricted to serpentine soils where it often grows on steep rocks or fissures in rocks that often receive little or no direct sunlight. Another habitat requirement is the presence of water—whether from seeps or close proximity to splashing water—pinguicula’s root must remain wet. The sticky light green leaves entice thirsty insects in for a visit with their wet appearance. The glands on the upper surface of the leaves initially trap the insect, on contact glands release more secretions, trapping the insect further, with more struggles, more stickiness, and the critter’s fate is sealed—ensnared in sticky mucilage. Once the insect is trapped the leaves slowly curl over the carcass and release digestive enzymes to break down the "tasty" parts. Finally, the leaf absorbs those nutrients through cuticular holes in the plant and incorporates them into the photosynthetic process.

Horned butterwort is classified by the California Native Plant Society as a List 2 species—it is rare, threatened, or endangered in California but common elsewhere. In the state it has only been recorded in Del Norte, Siskiyou, and Shasta Counties for a total of 34 observations on Calflora.

The striking flower of P. macrocerus.

Sticky leaves trap, roll over, and slowly digest the nourishing insects--supplementing the nutrient poor soils on which these plants grow.

California pitcher plant (Darlingtonia californica)
This insectivorous species is one of ten in the relict family Sarraceniaceae, and the only member of its genus that still survives on Earth. Northwest California is a refuge for this species; here it survives as a hold-out of the ancient Tertiary forests that dominated the northern hemisphere millions of years ago. The cobra lily also supplements its diet by trapping insects but this species entices them inside the stem where its victims endure a slow death—by incarceration. Instead of its leaves or stems producing an enzyme to deal with digestion, the pitcher plant harbors bacteria and protozoa inside its "pitcher." In a symbiotic relationship, the digestion is done by microbes and nutrients are shared. This species is restricted to fens, which are spring fed wetlands. It is often incorrectly stated that pitcher plants live in bogs—a rare habitat in California which consists of standing water and an accumulations of acidic peat.

The mysterious pollinator of Darlingtonia is currently unknown.

Stoney Creek Trail-Smith River National Recreation Area
From the town of Gasquet, Ca--along Highway 199 in Del Norte County--travel north on Gasquet Flat Road, take a quick right and in about half a mile a left on Gasquet Middle Fork Road which you can take to the end. There is limited parking and the hike is short. Enjoy the botanical wonders of the Smith River Region.

Along Little Stoney Creek Darlingtonia and Pinguicula grow side by side.

Resources:

Barry Rice "The Carnivorous Plant FAQ" accessed 4-15-2009

Bob Zeimer "Carnivorous Plants of the Smith River Near Gasquet" Accessed 4-15-2009

Sawyer, John O. (2006). Northwest California. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press

NEC EcoNews Report 4-15-09 ~ The Bigfoot Trail

2009-04-16T02:37:00Z

Allison Poklemba discusses the Bigfoot Trail with Michael Kauffmann.

Visit www.bigfoottrail.org for more information about the route.

Manzanita Ridge ~ Trinity Alps Wilderness

2009-03-31T03:17:00Z

http://blog.conifercountry.com/2009/03/30/manzanita-ridge--trinity-alps-wilderness.aspx

I hope my amateur filmaking skills are to your liking. Thanks to Dr. Sawyer for his inspiration.

The Bigfoot Trail ~ 350 miles through Northwest California's Klamath Mountains

2009-03-29T13:55:00Z

This has been an idea of mine since moving to northwest California. As I passionately, summer after summer, created loops through many of the region's wilderness areas I dreamed of a long trail that would link these together while at the same time visiting all the diverse conifer species that northwest California fosters. So, this summer I will walk the route I have thus far proposed, writing about what I find along the way, making small tweaks to the route--ultimately establishing a long trail I hope the region will be known for. This long trail will be botanically based--something that no other thru-hike can claim.

A route description can be found by visiting my Bigfoot Trail website.

I hope that one day this trail will be hiked by others, bringing exploration, passion, and awareness to the this little known knot of rivers and mountains. Still further, I hope this route will facilitate a tighter linkage of these vast wilderness areas and ultimately an appreciation for the charismatic mega-flora. Northwest California holds one of the most diverse temperate coniferous forests on Earth.

In 2006 Steve Marsden pioneered a route through the Klamath--from the Yolla Bolly Wilderness to Gold Beach, Oregon. I would like to thank him for advice he offered from his experiences.

visit Conifer Country

Russ Park ~ Ferndale, CA

2009-03-17T00:17:00Z

In the hills south of Ferndale a noticeable transition begins—the dense forests of the Pacific Northwest give way to the drier forests common in coastal northern California. While walking in Russ Park one can witness this transition. The Eel River delta is where western hemlocks near—and western redcedar reach—the southern extent of their range. Grand firs being to flourish here, south of the dense redwood curtain, and Russ Park holds some of the best accessible stands of this species in northwest California. The forest in the park was originally logged in the 1850's—making what grows here now new old-growth. The forest is spectacular and the hiking trails well cared for. This 105 acre park owes its beauty to the forethought of Zipporah Russ, who gave the land to the city in 1920.

Ferndale, the Pacific Ocean, and the mouth of the Eel River are seen from the Ferndale Viewpoint on the Eucalyptus Trail.

A visit to Russ Park in early spring is becoming ritual—in our yearly quest for wildflowers. This time of year the forest is greening and some spectacular early-blooming plants are well represented. One of the earliest bloomers on the North Coast is the fetid adder's tongue (Scoliopus bigelovii) also known as slinkpod. Finding the inconspicuous flower is the most difficult task—identifying it is easy. As with all members of the lily family (Liliaceae) the flower parts are in groups of three. The sepals are the most distinct part of the flower—having beautifully patterned deep reddish lines decorating a creamy palette. The three petals themselves are smaller with curved tips—surrounding the three part stigma.

From the ground up, the mottled leaves with a shoot leading to the three part sepals, petals, and stigma.

The mottled leaves grow to be quite large leading to the common name "adder's tongue" and the "fetid" reference comes from the smell of the flower itself—thought to entice pollination by fungal gnats. Once the flower has been pollinated, the weight of the seed pod is too much for the stem to bare and the whole package drops to the ground. From there the seed slinks along, stem still growing, until it buries itself in the ground a safe distance from the parent plant—ready to germinate the following year. Russ Park has on of the largest blooms of the slinkpod I have found on the North Coast--though another great spot, just across the Eel River Valley, is in Fortuna's Rohner Park.

The Fetid Friend (Jeffrey kane ssp. biglover) discovered a red-bellied newt (Taricha rivularis) on the trail around Zipporah's Pond in Russ Park.

External Links
Marin CNPS: Scoliopus bigelovii
BLM: Scoliopus bigelovii

California Native Plant Society Presentations ~ Northwest California's Conifers

2009-01-15T05:52:00Z

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for taking the time to come to the talk. I was inspired by the turn out and elated with the enthusiasm people showed for our charismatic mega-flora. I am opening this thread for your voices. Please ask questions, share experiences, talk about trees, places, or outlets for conservation.

I appreciate all the information people have shared so far -- from range extensions for some of the trees, to stories about visits to some of the areas I have mentioned. Please, keep the information coming. I will start a thread soon pertaining to the Bigfoot Trail as well as progress the book is making. Keep in touch.

-Michael Kauffmann

Michael visits a Port Orford-cedar along Blue Creek in the Siskiyou Wilderness.

Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge ~ Amargosa Valley, NV

2008-12-30T05:25:00Z

Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is located along the eastern border of Death Valley National Park. The area presents an incredible juxtaposition to the desert -- lush springs feed streams lined with riparian species; many of which are relicts of a wetter time. In this arid region, when precipitation befalls the mountains of southwestern Nevada, water percolates into aquifers. Over nearly a millennia this primordial water flows underground; forming the headwaters of the aboriginal Amargosa River. At Ash Meadows, these waters are forced up from the underground and a brilliant system of springs can be witnessed; in the heart of some of the most arid land on earth.

In wetter times of the Pleistocene the Amargosa River flowed here, connecting a system of lakes -- all the way to the once-massive Lake Manly. This lake is now dry and known as Death Valley. As this system of rivers and lakes dried with time the fish became restricted to where water remained above ground. Today, Ash Meadows holds the bulk of these springs and hence -- through speciation events due to geographical isolation -- numerous species of pupfish. It is said that AMNWR has the greatest concentration of endemic life in the United States -- at least 25 species have adapted to environments in and around the springs. Again, riparian relicts of and epoch gone by.

The velvet ash (Fraxinus velutina) for which the refuge is named

http://blog.conifercountry.com/2008/12/29/ash-meadows-national-wildlife-refuge.aspx

The Ash Meadows Amargosa pupfish (Cyprinodon nevadensis ssp. mionectes) thrive at Jackrabbit Springs.

The pupfish of the region behave as the cichlids of the African Great Lakes -- being highly territorial and breeding in a around rocky shelves. Where as the African cichlids are an example of parapatric speciation, the pupfish of Ash Meadows exhibit allopatric speciation -- because of their geographic isolation over time.

The region is still threatened. As water levels dropped to feed farms in the 1960's, the level of water in the underground aquifer dropped and habitat for the Devil's Hole pupfish (Cyprinodon diabolis) began to disappear. A Supreme Court ruling in 1976 limited the pumping of water and, for now, has saved this species -- as the water remains at a level necessary for breeding near a prefered limestone shelf. The Devil's Hole pupfish, because it lives in only one place -- a litteral rock-hole-spring in the middle of the desert -- is possibly the most environmentally restricted species on Earth. This area needs us to visit, to foster our understanding of the unique biota living on our planet.

The swirling emerald blue water of Crystal Spring.

Stu and MK sport their new pupfish hats.